American Queen Voyages (formerly American Queen Steamboat Company) Cruises

You'll find mature travelers on American Queen Voyages ships, mostly aged 50 and over. Many are history buffs who are knowledgeable and well-traveled. On summer and holiday itineraries, the ships might pull in a slightly younger demographic, but you'll rarely get a 20-something traveling without an older parent or grandparent. This is one of the few river cruise lines with facilities for wheelchair users: elevators to all cabin decks, accessible staterooms and a helpful crew to assist in going to and from the coaches on shore.

No, dress code is casual during the day, moving to country club casual in the evenings, which usually translates into a dress, skirt and blouse or pants suit for women. Some men wear a sport coat in the evening, but it's always by choice. Just don't show up for dinner in shorts or T-shirt.

Nearly everything. Cruise fares include a pre-cruise night at a hotel, transfer to the ship, dining (including in the alternative venues and 24-hour room service), soft drinks, coffees and bottled water and complimentary wines and beers at dinner. On American Duchess, an unlimited beverage package is also included, and gratuities are prepaid for passengers.

At least one shore excursion in each port is usually free, as are the hop-on hop-off coaches and the bicycles. Wi-Fi is complimentary, but for most of the fleet, you will pay extra for gratuities and for drinks apart from those served at dinner.

Seeing the ports along the rivers is central to the American Queen Voyages experience. The line offers a small selection of structured excursions but also encourages individual exploration with dedicated hop-on hop-off buses that provide narrated tours through the towns the ship is docked in. Passengers can also check out bikes to pedal around the destinations.

Life onboard centers around the lounges, which, with their antiques and period touches, are homey and well-used. Passengers take up residence and browse the library, play cards or just hang out and read. Another popular activity onboard is listening to the resident riverlorian, affable experts in the history and lore of the region and steamboating who spin yarns and answer questions along the way in organized lectures and individually.

Most of the passengers attend the evening shows provided by onboard entertainers and guest performers, as well. American Queen Voyages has astonishingly good entertainment in beautiful spaces (American Queen's Grand Saloon, for example, is a close replica of the Ford's Theatre).

Best for: Mature cruisers who enjoy following in the footsteps of the great steamboat-era travelers but with modern refinements

Not for: Those looking for poolside activities or any type of fast-paced onboard life